#Ipex: Domino Moves Forward with Color Ink-jet Printing Solutions

LONDON—02/09/2010—IPEX 2010 marks a watershed for Domino, with the Cambridge, UK-based company using the show as the launchpad for a brand new range of four/five color digital presses. The move marks Domino’s transition from acknowledged market leader in in-line variable data printing to mainstream supplier of full color digital printing equipment.

The N-Series piezo ink-jet line-up will incorporate both standalone label printing presses and modules featuring scalable print-width for OEM integration. The N600 digital label printing press to be shown at IPEX offers 1,200 dpi nominal print resolution with a native resolution of 600dpi and four greyscales operating at a leading edge 50-75m/m using durable UV inks. Capable of printing onto a range of paper and plastic label stocks, the N600 will be demonstrated in a reel-to-reel execution with a print width of 333mm (13.1”) — compatible with most standard finishing solutions.

“We have been closely monitoring technology and market trends in the digital printing market since before IPEX 2006, when we test marketed an early 200dpi prototype machine,” explains Philip Easton, Director—Digital Printing Solutions at Domino. “Brand owners are increasingly seeking to address their customers more directly and specifically by means of targeted and localised labels and packaging and initiatives such as special promotions.

“Combined with this are more generalised trends for efficiency savings: brand owners are wary of holding large numbers of SKU’s due to the risk of obsolescence, the potential for waste and the complexity of stock management. For printers, this translates into greater demand for short runs with fast turnaround. Conventional flexo printing involves production economics that incline towards multiple SKU’s, while the beauty of digital is that bespoke labels can be produced rapidly using blank or generic stock. The greater flexibility afforded by a fully digital process for both pre-print and variable data enables users to efficiently meet customer requirements for localisation, including language changes, and special promotions.”